Respecting Human Rights

Main Activities and Results (Fiscal 2013)

Monitoring and Improvement

Main Activities and Results (Fiscal 2013)

The NEC Group, which aims to expand business globally, sees global human rights issues as an important priority. Through regular internal audits by the Corporate Auditing Bureau, NEC has long conducted regular confirmation of NEC Group companies worldwide with respect to the development of human rights-related systems, any human rights breaches, and responses when such breaches occur. In fiscal 2013, NEC expanded human rights activities to include overseas operations. As the first steps toward NEC’s fiscal 2013 objective for human rights activities, “expand due diligence for ensuring respect for human rights on a global basis”, NEC implemented the following initiatives.
In Japan, NEC implemented an e-learning program for all employees, including tier-specific training for all levels from newly recruited employees to officers. Notably, NEC augmented training courses for newly appointed officers and managers with the latest information on international human rights standards, in order to increase understanding of human rights on a global level. The officer in charge of human resources or the General Manager of the NEC Human Resources Development Division visited the business sites of trainees to directly provide this training. NEC continued to implement multifaceted human rights initiatives, including related activities at consolidated subsidiaries. Examples included human-rights training courses for Human Rights Awareness Committee members, who have been assigned at NEC Corporation (for each worksite) and at NEC Group companies (for each company). Other measures included awareness-raising activities using pamphlets and Web sites, and inviting submissions of human-rights catchphrases from employees as well as their family members.

Furthermore, in fiscal 2013, the NEC Human Resources Development Division organized a global human rights training course (lecture) led by Mr. Kazuhiro Nozawa, an editorial board member of The Mainichi Newspapers, in order to foster greater awareness of human rights issues concerning people with disabilities. The lecture’s theme was “Employment of People with Disabilities and Human Rights—Giving Consideration to Diversity Through Employment of the Disabled.” The lecture was attended by around 200 participants, including Human Rights Awareness Committee members assigned to the business departments of NEC Corporation and the human resources managers of NEC Group companies in Japan, along with personnel responsible for promoting the employment of people with disabilities. Almost all attendees noted that the lecture was extremely meaningful, with participants providing the following comments:

• The training course increased my understanding of human rights issues concerning people with disabilities.
• ŸThe training course changed how I see the disabled and the employment of people with disabilities.
• I would like to take a new look at what can be done in terms of recruitment, types of work for people with disabilities and other related areas.
• I now have a new appreciation of employing people with disabilities.

Number of people attending human rights awareness group training： [Scope: NEC Corporation]

* Besides group training, NEC holds Web training (compulsory) for all employees every second year

Meanwhile, overseas, NEC has long conducted human rights awareness training as part of training related to the NEC Group Charter of Corporate Behavior and the NEC Group Code of Conduct. In fiscal 2013, NEC conducted training in North America and the Asia-Pacific region with a stronger emphasis on increasing awareness of its human rights policy (prohibition of discrimination, child labor and forced and compulsory labor). NEC plans to conduct this training in Latin America and Greater China in fiscal 2014. When implementing this training, NEC holds a series of discussions with CSR personnel and managers of personnel divisions in various overseas regions, and has prepared globally standardized training materials. NEC leaves it up to each region to decide whether or not to incorporate human rights issues specific to each region into these training materials. Decisions on whether to incorporate human rights training into training on the NEC Group Charter of Corporate Behavior and the NEC Group Code of Conduct are also left up to each region.

Furthermore, we  believe it is important for employees to learn about human rights not only through in-house programs, but also learn from contributing to awareness-raising programs in local communities and related experiences. We are deepening understanding of human rights issues by encouraging employees to participate in local social contribution activities. For instance, we have employees participate in social contribution programs such as wheelchair tennis tournaments, which help disabled people participate more fully in society through sports. In these and other ways, employees learn how to relate to human rights.  We also conduct the “NEC IT Communication Support Course for People with Severe Disabilities”. The goal of this course is to enable people with severe disabilities to communicate by entering text in a PC with only the slightest motion of any part of their body. Please follow this link for further details.

Another important theme at NEC is ensuring respect for human rights at suppliers. Personnel divisions and purchasing divisions regularly share information on any human rights issues at suppliers and when promoting supply-chain CSR initiatives. NEC has prepared policies, guidelines and check sheets related to all aspects of CSR, including respect for human rights, and uses these materials to confirm the degree of progress made by the activities of suppliers. Please click here for details.

Monitoring and Improvement

Human Rights Hotline Desk

NEC has a Human Rights Hotline Desk, which is a consultation contact point for sexual harassment, power harassment, and related issues, for the purpose of clarifying the nature of consultations and expediting responses.

Consultation desks have been set up at the Personnel Affairs Division of NEC Corporation and at each business unit. Staff members assigned to the consultation desk provide consultations. The system is designed to protect the privacy of those who consult with the desk, while ensuring that they receive no disadvantageous treatment.

Training is provided to staff members newly appointed to the consultation desk, covering training on the role of the desk, as well as consulting approaches and methodologies. In these and other training programs, NEC strives to ensure practical training by including role-playing and other activities. NEC made the Human Rights Hotline Desk known to employees by displaying posters aimed at preventing social harassment with information about the hotline desk.

Personnel and Labor Management Audit

NEC verified that similar human rights awareness initiatives to those at NEC Corporation are being conducted at domestic affiliated companies through personnel and labor management audits and other methods.

Policies and Rules,Framework

Objectives and Achievements

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